Sports: Why?

Think about what sports really are. Think about sitting in the stands at a baseball game. Think about how much money you spent on tickets, parking, beer, hot dogs and the jersey you’re wearing. Now think about what you’re actually watching:

Grown men throwing a ball and hitting it with a bat, and catching it if they can. Think about how much we pay and how many people are doing the same thing as you. And on top of all that, think about how many people are sitting at home, watching, and wishing they were where you are watching these guys throw around this little ball. It’s one group of guys playing against and trying to score more than another group of guys. It’s the same game 9 year olds play, just not quite as well.

Sports is a strange phenomenon. Even though I am aware of what I just said, I still love it. I still pay just as much if not more attention than you. I check ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, read sports magazines, watch Sportscenter—I even pay for a subscription to Rivals so I can pretend to be a recruiting insider. Hell, I’m trying to start a sports business. I can’t help it. No matter how aware you are or I am of the simplicities of the game—be it baseball, football, basketball—it just doesn’t matter.

We love sports and we love the players and we love the game because of the moments, the memories, that legendary play, that amazing drive. We love our dad telling the story of when he saw Secretariat win the Triple Crown. We still get just as angry when the Aaron Boone home run is replayed. That guy in the uniform who you idolize, whose poster is up on your wall, whose name is on the back of your jersey—some people don’t even recognize him walking down the street. But it doesn’t matter. Not to me, not to you, not to him. Some of you might not have the feelings I do. But for those who do, we may not know why—but we know we love sports, and we’re not going to stop anytime soon.